12 Grosvenor Street, Edinburgh

12 Grosvenor Street, Edinburgh

A block of Italianate tenements designed by Robert Matheson in 1865, comprising a 3-storey and basement structure with a 4-storey corner pavilion. The building extends along Grosvenor Street with a recessed intervening section and a corner pavilion at the junction with Maitland Street West.

The main facades are constructed in polished sandstone ashlar, with a droved finish to the basement. The ground level features a base course, and the 1st floor has a cill course. The 1st floor windows are topped with dentilled cornices. The 2nd floor has bracketed block cills. The eaves course is panelled and incorporates fluted brackets to the cornice and blocking course above. Doorpieces are distinguished by consoled, dentilled cornices and panelled pilasters with circular motifs, with moulded margins framing the openings.

The north-east principal elevation comprises an advanced corner block on the right (No. 24 Grosvenor Street, forming the corner with No. 12 Lansdowne Crescent) with 5 bays to Grosvenor Street and 3 bays to Haymarket. This is followed by a recessed intervening block of 29 bays, organised into seven 3-bay sections flanked by 4-bay outer sections. A modern attic has been added to most of the intervening block, with slate hanging and individual dormers to the left.

The corner block features bowed corner bays to both Clifton Terrace and Grosvenor Street, with a recessed cornice at these bowed sections. The Grosvenor Street elevation of the corner block includes ashlar steps and entrance platts, with iron gates to a pend at basement level. A converted doorpiece appears at the penultimate bay to the left, whilst the outer right (No. 4) retains a 4-panel timber door with a rectangular fanlight. The bowed bays have single basement windows and tripartite windows to all floors above.

The Haymarket elevation features a free-standing Corinthian portico to the central bay at ground level, comprising Corinthian columns in front of Corinthian pilasters, with a dentilled cornice and modern metal railings forming a balcony above at 1st floor level. The entrance comprises 2-leaf timber doors with carved rosette motifs and an ornate geometrical fanlight. A part-glazed timber door serves No. 2A below an oversailing entrance platt.

Windows throughout are timber sash and case: 4- and 2-pane to the principal blocks, and 2-, 4- and multi-pane to upper floors and basement. The ground floor retains unpainted timber-framed, margin-paned glazing. The roofs are covered in grey slate with a piended profile to the pavilions. Coped sandstone ashlar chimney stacks with squat cylindrical cans are regularly disposed, and cast-iron rainwater goods are throughout.

The recessed intervening block comprises regular fenestration to all bays and floors. Doors are 4-panel timber, often part-glazed where they serve individual sections. At basement level, doors with flanking windows are central to each 3-bay section. Windows appear to all remaining bays at ground and upper floor levels, with some infilled bays beneath oversailing platts where doors and windows appear to the return.

Fleur-de-lys iron railings set in ashlar coping front the street and entrance platts. Plain railings protect steps down to the basement and to the Haymarket entrance.